Plains Farm green space used by dog walkers and children to be lost as affordable homes are built

Sunderland City Council’s Planning and Highways Committee, at a meeting this week, discussed plans for a site off Primate Road in the Plains Farm area, near the A690 Durham Road.

Housing association Bernicia Homes had applied for planning permission to build 46 affordable homes on the site, with the majority being for social rent, as well as off-street and visitor parking.

A mix of two-bedroom, three-bedroom and four-bedroom two-storey homes were proposed under the scheme, as well as 10 two-bedroom bungalows.

Vehicular access was also proposed via Primate Road, with pedestrian links to Princetown Terrace and Perth Road.

During a council consultation exercise on the plans however, around 22 objections were lodged mainly about the loss of open space, highway safety and increased traffic and noise from the new development.

Sunderland City Council’s planning department, in a report prepared ahead of a decision-making meeting on Monday, November 25, recommended the housing scheme for approval.

After being put to the vote this week, a majority of councillors on the Planning and Highways Committee approved the housing proposals.

Councillor Michael Dixon, who voted against the housing plan, initially raised concerns about the loss of open space and how the value of the site as green space had been assessed by the council.

A council “green space audit” recorded the land being within the Silksworth ward which has a ‘high quantity of amenity greenspace’ compared to the city average, according to a council report.

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But Cllr Dixon said he was concerned that upcoming changes to local electoral ward boundaries would put the land in a new ward with a lower amount of open space, and the councillor asked whether this had been considered by council planners.

Council planning officers, responding to Cllr Dixon, said the decision on the planning application had to be taken in relation to current policies and assessments, rather than future circumstances.

Cllr Dixon eventually voted against the affordable housing scheme and explained his reasons for doing so.

“I think the application is very worthy and the actual reasoning behind it is first class and I’m very pleased to see that there has been amendments in relation to retaining the open space,” he said.

“But I’m still somewhat perturbed by the loss of the green space, I think as you approach Sunderland from Herrington there’s been a lot of thought over many many years going back to the 1950s where green space has been produced at Farringdon and all the way down to Thorney Close.

“This is an example of a balance between a highly urbanised area and green space, which I think is very important to retain, so I shall not be supporting the planning officers on this occasion.”

Council planners said the site was partially occupied by housing until the 1980s with some evidence of former infrastructure remaining “in the form of Perth Court”.

A single public objector, speaking on behalf of residents from Primate Road and Princetown Terrace at City Hall, said the field was used by dog walkers and children and that previous housing on the site had different access arrangements than what was being proposed for the affordable housing.

Concerns were also raised about the lack of noise mitigation for existing neighbours and the development worsening existing parking and traffic issues, along with questions about why an alternative site had not been chosen instead.

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“Out of all the other residents I’m the only one sat here because no-one else believes that you will take any notice of a word we have said and that it’s a done deal,” the objector told councillors.

Council planners acknowledged the development would “partially erode the existing open space” at the site, but stressed developers would make a financial contribution to deliver “off-site open space improvements” in the area to mitigate this.

It was also noted that the reduction in homes under amended plans meant more open space would be retained, that revised proposals provided a “less dense” layout than previously proposed and that the existing road network could “safely accommodate” traffic from the new development.

A planning consultant speaking on behalf of applicant Bernicia Homes told the meeting public consultations had led to major changes to the housing scheme, including the reduction of homes proposed from 69 homes to 46 homes.

In addition, applicants said revised plans included an increased “retained landscape buffer” between existing properties on Princetown Terrace and the new development, as well as a range of “affordable housing”, including social rent and “low cost ownership”.

Councillors were told the plans would include developer financial contributions under a section 106 legal agreement, with more than £25,600 secured towards the council’s ‘coastal mitigation service’ and off-site open space enhancements of more than £10,000.

Planning approval is subject to the completion of this legal agreement and once agreed, the housing development must be brought forward within three years.

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A report from council planning officers added: “The content of the objections to the proposed development are acknowledged and it is evident that the local community holds significant concerns in relation to the proposed development of the site, particularly around the effect on open space provision and impact on local highways.

“All relevant material planning considerations and technical issues have, however, been appraised in the context of the policies of the council’s [local plan] and the NPPF and the consultation responses received from a range of external and internal consultees and there are not considered to be any reasons which would justify a refusal of planning permission in the context of the benefits being derived from the development.”

For more information on the planning application or council decision, visit Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website and search reference: 21/01001/FU4